American religion has bifurcated along ideological lines in recent decades. Some voices trumpet a moralistic approach while others trumpet a compassion-driven approach. Some of the early splitting can be observed in the story of how the church treated those afflicted by AIDS in the 1980s. Moralistic voices today still seem to hold the loudest places in the Christian church, but compassionate approaches can be seen everywhere. Journalist Michael O’Loughlin records some of those stories before their bearers face the grave. He paints a picture where people in the pews take a very different approach than those in the pulpits and where professional courage met human care in the face of suffering.
Congruent with the stories in that era, this book intertwines three basic themes: AIDS, homosexuality, and Roman Catholicism. None of those fit me: I am a heterosexual Protestant who does not have HIV. However, I’m interested in all three topics. Like fundamentalist Protestants (my original tradition), some in the Roman Catholic church issue stark condemnations of homosexuality. These voices often echo loudest, unfortunately. O’Loughlin brings out the opposite edge within the church – those who take great personal risks to embrace those afflicted with disease. At the time of the 1980s, homosexuality and HIV were synonymous, unlike today where HIV’s impact is broader. Nuns, priests, and everyday churchgoers aimed to humanize disease’s disfiguration as part of their Christian mission, much as Jesus Christ welcomed the sick.
Of course, moralistic voices in the church are never content with the social radicalism of inclusion and compassion. Yet both moral teachings and the radical welcoming of marginalized groups have a prominent place in the Christian tradition. This book tells stories of celibate nuns who mastered every detail of gay sex so that they could minister to those with AIDS in their communities. It tells of gay priests who advocated for those afflicted with HIV through educational art – intertwining the crucifixion of Jesus with the dehumanizing death of AIDS sufferers. It tells of gay men who could not escape Christian spirituality despite leadership’s loud shamings.
O’Loughlin writes with a highly social tone oriented towards compassion. It’s no surprise he writes for the prominent Jesuit magazine America which conveys a need for social justice from Christian voices. His attitude is invariably inclusive about those in the LGBT community and the church. While he does bring up the Protestant groups, he is staunchly Roman Catholic in his perspective. He tries to wed the lives of the saints with the spiritual lives of homosexuals.
This book most directly addresses Roman Catholics in the United States with a journalistic tone, much like a mainstream news magazine. The author does not advance an argument as much as chronicle stories that might be soon lost to history. It can also find a readership with English-speaking Roman Catholics worldwide interested in American social justice. Further, those who, like me, have an curiosity about the fascinating tale of HIV can benefit from this unique intertwining of religion and those ostracized. HIV has exposed some of the worst elements of society, but it also has conjured up some of the most virtuous aspects, too. I’m grateful and inspired to have learned about those who put themselves at risk for the well being of their neighbors.
Hidden Mercy: AIDS, Catholics, and the Untold Stories of Compassion in the Face of Fear
By Michael J. O’Loughlin
Narrated by Michael J. O’Loughlin
Copyright (c) 2022
eChristian
ASIN B09RCJ76NR
Length: 7:56
Genre: Religion, Society
www.amazon.com